Heuchera plant named &#39;Peach Crisp&#39;

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct  Heuchera  plant substantially as shown and described, characterized by ruffled leaves, intense rust red spring leaf color, glossy rust red to amber summer leaves, medium plant size, short flowering stalks that are deep red with small white flowers, and excellent vigor.

BOTANICAL DENOMINATION

Heuchera spp.

VARIETY DESIGNATION

‘Peach Crisp’

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Heucheraand given the cultivar name of ‘Peach Crisp’. Heuchera is in the familySaxifragaceae. Heuchera ‘Peach Crisp’ originated from a planned crossbetween Heuchera ‘Café Olé’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 18,922), as the seedparent, and Heuchera 817-1, a proprietary unreleased plant, as thepollen parent. Compared to the seed parent, Heuchera ‘Café Olé’, the newcultivar has rust red foliage rather than brown. Compared to the pollenparent, Heuchera 817-1, the new cultivar has leaves that are moreruffled and are rust red rather than purple olive.

Compared to Heuchera ‘Marmalade’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,945), the newcultivar has a smaller tighter habit, rust red rather than amber leafcolor, and shorter flowers.

This new Heuchera is distinguished by:

1. ruffled leaves,

2. intense rust red spring leaf color,

3. glossy rust red to amber summer leaves,

4. medium plant size,

5. short flowering stalks that are deep red with small white flowers,

6. and excellent vigor.

This new cultivar has been reproduced only by asexual propagation(cuttings and tissue culture). Each of the progeny exhibits identicalcharacteristics to the original plant. Asexual propagation by stemcuttings and tissue culture using standard micropropagation techniqueswith terminal and lateral shoots, as done in Canby, Oreg., shows thatthe foregoing characteristics and distinctions come true to form and areestablished and transmitted through succeeding propagations. The presentinvention has not been evaluated under all possible environmentalconditions. The phenotype may vary with variations in environmentwithout a change in the genotype of the plant.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING

The photograph shows a two-year-old Heuchera ‘Peach Crisp’ in bloom,growing in a two gallon container in the shade house in late April inCanby, Oreg.

DETAILED PLANT DESCRIPTION

The following is a detailed description of the new Heuchera cultivarbased on observations of two-year-old specimens grown in two galloncontainers outdoors in full sun in April in Canby, Oreg. Canby is Zone 8on the USDA Hardiness map. Temperatures range from a high of 95 degreesF. in August to an average of 32 degrees F. in January. Normal rainfallin Canby is 42.8 inches per year. The color descriptions are all basedon The Royal Horticultural Society Colour Chart, 5^(th) edition.

-   Plant:    -   -   Form.—basal rosette, herbaceous perennial.        -   Hardiness.—USDA Zone 4 to 9.        -   Size.—22 cm tall from top of the foliage to the ground and            47 cm wide.        -   Habit.—mounding.        -   Vigor.—excellent.        -   Roots.—fibrous, freely branching, fine, and white in color;            roots develop easily from cuttings.-   Leaf:    -   -   Type.—simple.        -   Arrangement.—basal.        -   Shape.—ovate.        -   Lobing/division.—5 main lobes, with 2 to 3 shallow secondary            lobes.        -   Venation.—palmate.        -   Margins.—crenate and undulate.        -   Apex.—mucronulate.        -   Base.—cordate, lobes overlapping at the base.        -   Blade size.—grows to 7.5 cm long and 6 cm wide.        -   Surface texture.—both sides glandular.        -   Petiole description.—grows to 18 cm long and 2 mm wide,            glandular hairs, Greyed Purple 186A.        -   Leaf color.—spring, topside new mature leaves, between            Greyed Purple 185A and 187C lightening to Greyed Orange 174D            tinted Greyed Purple 184D, bottom side Greyed Purple 187B;            summer topside Greyed Orange 177A and 176A.-   Inflorescence:    -   -   Size.—grows to 4.4 cm wide and 19 cm long.        -   Type.—thyrse.        -   Number of flowers per thyrse.—80 to 120 per thyrse.        -   Number of thyrse.—about 13 in first spring bloom.        -   Peduncle.—grows to 42 cm tall, 3 mm to 4 mm wide at base,            Greyed Purple 187A, glandular hairs, with 2 to 4 petiolate            leaves (ovate, blades grow to 4 cm long and 4 cm wide, 5            lobed, margin undulate, and crenate, color the same as the            leaves).        -   Pedicel.—variable in size, with glandular hairs, Greyed            Purple 187A.        -   Bloom period.—late April to June in Canby, Oreg.-   Flower bud:    -   -   Size.—2.5 mm wide and 4 mm long.        -   Description.—glandular puberulent, ovoid.        -   Color.—top ⅔ Red Purple 62D, bottom ⅓ Red Purple 58A.-   Flower:    -   -   Type.—perfect.        -   Shape.—campanulate.        -   Size.—5 mm long and 3 mm wide.        -   Petal description.—5 in number, 2 mm long, spatulate with a            clawed base, reflexed, tip acute, margin entire, glabrous on            top and bottom side, White NN155C on both sides.        -   Calyx description.—5 mm long and 3 mm wide, with 5 lobes,            divided ½ way to the base, glandular hairs on both sides,            tip obtuse, margin entire, both sides White N155C on top ⅔,            Red Purple 58D on bottom ⅓.        -   Stamen description.—5 in number, 2.5 mm long, filament 2 mm            long, White NN155B, anthers White 155A, no pollen, male            sterile.        -   Pistil description.—one central two beaked pistil, 4 mm            long, ovary 2 mm long and Yellow Green 145B, style 2 mm long            , White NN155B.        -   Fragrance.—none.        -   Lastingness.—each thyrse blooms for about 2 weeks on the            plant.-   Fruit:    -   -   Type.—two beaked capsule.        -   Size.—7 mm deep by 2 mm wide.        -   Fertility.—good.        -   Color.—Greyed Brown 199A.-   Seed:    -   -   Shape.—linear.        -   Size.—2 mm long.        -   Color.—Black, RHS 202A.-   Disease and pest tolerance: No known resistance to rust, a common    problem with light leaf type Heuchera. Excellent disease tolerance    to powdery mildew. All Heuchera are susceptible to root weevils.

1. A new and distinct Heuchera plant as herein illustrated anddescribed.